Samia on rise of student meal allowance

Dodoma. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared a 17.647 percent increase in varsity students’ meal allowance and assured the nation that no one will die of hunger despite the unfriendly weather that the country experienced.

President Hassan declared this yesterday when speaking in a meeting with representatives of student organisations in the country organised by the Ministry of Education and the Tanzania Higher Learning Institutions Students’ Organization (Tahliso).

“I understand that one has to survive on a single meal when he or she finishes his or her daily food allowance. I will start with at least Sh10,000.”

“So, the minister for education will work on the matter, come next academic year,” the president ordered.

Media reports indicated that meal allowances have long been at the centre of furious rows between the government and students from higher learning institutions, which in the past instigated riots and strikes through which some students were even expelled.

Tahliso president, Mr Frank Mkinda, made a request by saying: “Due to the increased cost of living, we kindly ask for your consideration, thus raising it to at least Sh10,000 or more.”

It is said that some students skip meals because they can’t afford to buy them, thus failing to concentrate on their lectures or being forced to conduct other immoral stuff in order to have something on the table.

On the other hand, the head of state explained that as part of the effects of climate change, projections have shown that the world will experience food insecurity, which, in fact, has already hit some countries.

“Tanzania is lucky, as despite having unfriendly weather in the past two seasons, the government has stored enough food for the country’s consumption.” “We bought enough corn and rice from areas with a good harvest and stored them for such a time,” President Hassan declared.

“Currently, we have released enough food in the market, which will reduce the price, so the market forces will have the businesses decrease their prices, which in turn will normalize the situation,” she added.

“No one will die simply because he or she has got no food; in fact, we want to make the country a food basket for East and Southern Africa. It is possible, as we have enough land for that. This is why we are investing more in agriculture,” she noted.

According to the president, graduates from agriculture related institutions in the country are the ones to help the country realize such a dream that will make Tanzania have enough food for its internal consumption with surplus to be exported.

“We will give them everything needed for mass production; they will have no worries; of course they are trained, so we will invest in them, be it in tilling the land, livestock keeping, or fishing; everything will be there at their disposal,” she reassured.

According to her, with the said initiative, agriculture-related students will have direct employment opportunities upon completion of their studies.